as in to trigger
to cause to function
his obscene comment touched off a heated debate about the need for censorship on live broadcasts
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Recent Examples of touch off
Her announcement touched off a new round of progressive candidates backing away from the Iron Dome.
—
Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
The movie touched off nationwide controversy when it was first released because of the real-world violence that seemed to follow in its wake.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
With two minutes left in the period, Parayko ran Yurov into the boards from behind, touching off a fight between the Blues’ defenseman and Trenin.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Then suddenly, one set charged the other, touching off yearslong bloodshed that researchers are comparing to a human civil war.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
The movie touched off nationwide controversy when it was first released because of the real-world violence that seemed to follow in its wake.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
With two minutes left in the period, Parayko ran Yurov into the boards from behind, touching off a fight between the Blues’ defenseman and Trenin.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Then suddenly, one set charged the other, touching off yearslong bloodshed that researchers are comparing to a human civil war.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for touch off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for touch off
Verb
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Something triggered Ty Arafet in the fourth inning Saturday night during The First Academy’s Class 2A, Region 2 semifinal game against Montverde.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
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But Christopher Morel then took three consecutive strikes from Jose Alvarado to end that rally, triggering boos from the crowd and leaving Miami down 6-4 headed to the ninth.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The Moon in Sagittarius activates your 3rd House of Communication, encouraging direct expression and clearer exchanges.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
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Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The comedian was subsequently taken off the air, sparking outcry and accusations of government censorship.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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But pilots and aviation experts say such warnings have been increasingly sparking alarm in cockpits as bogus signals from global positioning satellites hit commercial flights.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And in recent years, a new crop of miners driven by rising gold prices have sought to return to the landscape.—
Sarah Raza,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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Further, the tax disincentivizes success, weakens California’s standing as a hub for innovation, and demonizes the wealthy – all of which erode investment, drive economic activity elsewhere, and are ultimately incompatible with America’s capitalist roots.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Some analysts have raised alarms about how weakness in a key node of the web, like OpenAI, could set off a chain reaction that could threaten the entire AI ecosystem.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
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Dozens of people wearing masks shut down I-77 to set off fireworks in the middle of the interstate.—
Joe Bruno,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That output is sufficient to power approximately 24,000 households each year.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
4 May 2026
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Hyperscalers such as Meta and Google plan to use those chips for the data centers that will power their AI ambitions, which have been at the center of billions of dollars worth of investments since the beginning of the year.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
Verb
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There is still work to do; however, current congressional leadership has moved us in the right direction.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
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Before the vote, loud boos resounded as House Republicans arrived and moved through a crowd of protesters from the elevator to the House chamber.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Touch off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/touch%20off. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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